Monitoring actions to conduct an activity between multiple participants

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system determines the best option for accomplishing or performing an activity between multiple participants and may send a notification to the multiple participants of the determined best option. The system analyzes the preferences, limitations, behaviors, and capabilities of each of the participants and displays an aggregate of these traits from each of participants. The system then applies a set of rules and guidelines for determining which option is best suited for performing the activity with all of the participants. The system comprises a computer system including at least one processor. Embodiments of the present invention further include a method and computer program product for determining the best option for accomplishing or performing an activity between multiple participants in substantially the same manner described above.

1 - 7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . A system for conducting an activity among a plurality of participants comprising:
 at least one processor configured to:
 generate a graphical display of magnitudes of preferences of each participant pertaining to each of a plurality of options for an item required for conducting an activity; 
 combine the magnitudes of the preferences of each participant for each of the options and determine the option for the item to employ for the activity based on the combined magnitudes; and 
 graphically display the determined option for the item to conduct the activity employing the determined option. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of participants includes two participants, the graphical display includes a chart for each participant with a plurality of bars each indicating the magnitude of a preference for a corresponding option, and combining the magnitudes comprises:
 manipulating the charts of the two participants toward each other and identifying the option for the item for the activity based on contact between the corresponding bars of a preference for an option of the item.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the magnitudes include preference values, and combining the magnitudes of the preferences comprises:
 summing the preference values of each of the participants for each of the options of the item and identifying the option of the item based on a greatest summation of preference values.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein combining the magnitudes of the preferences comprises:
 identifying the option for the item based on a greatest magnitude of the preferences for the options.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein combining the magnitudes of the preferences comprises:
 identifying an option for the item based on a magnitude of the preference of each participant for that option being greater than a lowest magnitude of a preference of each participant for each of the options for the item.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the graphical display includes a plurality of concentric bands and a plurality of stacked bars, each concentric band and stacked bar being associated with a corresponding participant and employing a color-coding scheme to indicate a preference of each participant for each of the plurality of options for the item, wherein the stacked bars are presented in a radial fashion around the concentric bands, and wherein the plurality of concentric bands are color-coded and represent determined options for the item in order of preference. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the graphical display presents the plurality of concentric bands and the plurality of stacked bars as divided evenly between at least two options for the item to represent equal preference of the at least two options by the plurality of participants. 
     
     
         15 . A computer program product for conducting an activity among a plurality of participants comprising:
 a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising computer readable program code configured to:   generate a graphical display of magnitudes of preferences of each participant pertaining to each of a plurality of options for an item required for conducting an activity;   combine the magnitudes of the preferences of each participant for each of the options and determine the option for the item to employ for the activity based on the combined magnitudes; and   graphically display the determined option for the item to conduct the activity employing the determined option.   
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of participants includes two participants, the graphical display includes a chart for each participant with a plurality of bars each indicating the magnitude of a preference for a corresponding option, and combining the magnitudes comprises:
 manipulating the charts of the two participants toward each other and identifying the option for the item for the activity based on contact between the corresponding bars of a preference for an option of the item.   
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the magnitudes include preference values, and combining the magnitudes of the preferences comprises:
 summing the preference values of each of the participants for each of the options of the item and identifying the option of the item based on a greatest summation of preference values; and   identifying the option for the item based on a greatest magnitude of the preferences for the options.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein combining the magnitudes of the preferences comprises:
 identifying an option for the item based on a magnitude of the preference of each participant for that option being greater than a lowest magnitude of a preference of each participant for each of the options for the item.   
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the graphical display includes a plurality of concentric bands and a plurality of stacked bars, each concentric band and stacked bar being associated with a corresponding participant and employing a color-coding scheme to indicate a preference of each participant for each of the plurality of options for the item, wherein the stacked bars are presented in a radial fashion around the concentric bands, and wherein the plurality of concentric bands are color-coded and represent determined options for the item in order of preference. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 19 , wherein the graphical display presents the plurality of concentric bands and the plurality of stacked bars as divided evenly between at least two options for the item to represent equal preference of the at least two options by the plurality of participants.